Improvement in casters for tables



H. A. HIESTANDl Improvement in Casters for Tables.

No.132,285. Patented Oct. 15, 1872.

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HENRY A. HIESTAND, OF HELLAM, PENNSYLVANIA.

, IMPROVEMENT IN CASTERS FOR TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,285, dated October 15, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. HIESTAND, of Hellam, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Adjustable Caster Attachment for Tables, 820., of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of a pair of bars for each side of the table or other article, on which two of the casters with long shanks are mounted, so as to have an ascending and descending motion, which bars have hooks with adjusting-nuts, so arranged as to be readily detachably connected to the legs of the table,-and on the upper bar a pair of levers are pivoted and arranged for lifting the table by bearing on the caster-spindles at one end when the other end is raised, and the latter ends of each pair are connected with a yoke, so pivoted to a crank or eccentric disk on a shaft mounted on the under side of the table-top and extending from one side to the other for operating the levers at both sides at once, that, when the table is raised off its legs and thrown on the casters, the point of connection of the yoke with the disk passes beyond the vertical line of the axis of the shaft and brings the yoke to bear against the shaft in such manner as to be selffastening, to hold the table on the casters, so that no time or labor is lost in fastening and unfastening the apparatus, all as will be hereinafter described.

Figure l is a side elevation of a table provided with my improved caster attachment, showing the positions of the parts when the table is resting on the casters; Fig. 2 is another side elevation, with two of the legs broken out to show the bearings of the shaft by which the levers are operated; and Fig. 3

is a partial side elevation, showing the position of the levers and the shaft when the casters are up and the table is resting on its legs.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the bars upon which the casters B are mounted by the long vertical spindles G in the bearings D. These bars are long enough to extend from one leg E to the other of the table or other article of furniture to which the attachment is to be applied, and they are provided with a screw-threaded yoke or hook, F, and a nut, H, at each end for being fastened to the table-legs, in the manner shown in the drawing. One is placed near the lower ends of the table-legs, and the other is placed as high above as necessary to steady the casters-say about the middle of the tablelegs. Two bars and two casters are placed on the two opposite sides of the table. A lever, I, for each caster-spindle is pivoted at about the middle on the upper bar, with one end bearing on the top of the spindle, and the other suspended by a rod, K, from the lower end of the curved rod L, whose upper end is pivoted to a disk or crank, M, on a crank-shaft, N, suspended in bearings Q from the under side of the table-top and extending from side to side of the table for the connection of all the levers. To lift the table off its legs, and have it rest on the casters, the crank-shaft is turned in the direction to raise the ends of the levers suspended from it and force the others down, and in so doing the pivot P will be carried as far to the left of the shaft N as the curved connecting-rod L will allow by its concave side coming against the shaft. The pivot P being the point of suspension of gravity, the latter will hold the shaft in this position and maintain the table on the casters without any other fastening until the crank is turned back again by hand to carry the said point of suspension up the ascending portion of its path to the vertical line'of the axis of the shaft, when the gravity of the table will cause it to fall to the floor and shift the levers back.

Thus it will be seen that the only thing which is required to be done in shifting the table from either position to the other is turning the crank-shaft, whereas in some other contrivanoes for the purpose a fastening device is to be fastened'or unfastened.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patout- 1. The combination of the casters B C, levers I, connecting-rods KL, and crank-shaft N, the rods L being curved and pivoted to a crank or disk on the crank-shaft in the manner described.

2. The detachable connection of the casters and levers to the table by the bars A and hooks or yokes F, substantially as specified.

HENRY AGUSTE-S HIESTAND.

Witnesses:

J OHN Buns, M. S. ADAMS. 

